Board of Directors
Contact
Board of Directors
Leadership and governance is provided by a seven-member volunteer Board of Directors composed of local residents with diverse backgrounds and interests. The role of the Directors is to establish priorities, set policies and guidelines, and oversee general operations. Additionally, Associate Directors serve the organization in an advisory capacity.
The Board of Directors meets every second Thursday at 8:00am in the JoAnn Busenbark Boardroom located at 625 Burnell Street, Napa, CA. Remote teleconference access is provided for the public’s convenience and in the event a Board Member requests remote participation due to just cause or emergency circumstances pursuant to Government Code section 54953(f). The public is welcome to attend and participate and provide oral or written comments. View upcoming meeting agendas or request to be signed up for email notifications at the Agenda page.
When Director positions are open, an announcement will be made on the Napa RCD website and also on the Napa County website. Associate Director applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To apply, please contact Lucas@NapaRCD.org.
Board Members
Bruce Barge
President
Biography
Bruce is an organizational psychologist and executive coach who has worked with client companies and leaders to improve performance and impact. He earned a PhD in industrial/organizational psychology from the University of Minnesota and worked as a consultant and business leader with Fortune 500, public sector, and non-profit organizations for over 30 years. For Napa RCD, Bruce has chaired the Governance subcommittee and was elected in 2022 as President of the Board. Given the environmental challenges in Napa County and Napa RCD’s strong capabilities, Bruce is committed to advancing Napa RCD’s role in forest health, watershed restoration, regenerative agriculture and community-based environmental education.
Allison Day
Director
Biography
Gretchen Stranzl McCann
Director
Biography
Jennifer Putnam
Associate Director
Biography
Jim Lincoln
Director
Biography
Karen Turjanis
Director
Biography
Karen was born and raised in Northern California. She received a B.S. in Fermentation Science from U.C. Davis before moving to Napa to join the wine industry. For more than 25 years she enjoyed making wine and managing vineyards in the coastal ranges of Sonoma and Napa Counties, plus a bonus harvest in New Zealand. Always up for a new challenge and a passionate advocate for youth and education, she earned her teaching credential and has been teaching mathematics to students with learning disabilities over the past decade. Prior to joining Napa RCD, Karen served on the Board of Directors for Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District for 10 years. She was a founding board member for Friends of the Napa River and served on their board for nearly 20 years. Karen is a staunch proponent of public access to public lands and providing opportunities for youth to experience the outdoors. She is a member of the Napa RCD Community Engagement Committee. With two kids in college, Karen and her husband have their hands full but still try to find time to hike, garden, cook and row.
Paul Asmuth
Director
Biography
Paul is currently completing (2023) a Master of Science in Forestry degree from Mississippi State University online. His graduate courses have focused on coast redwoods and community-based forestry. He and his wife Marilyn founded The Napa Valley Community Forest in 2012 which now has more than 2,000 coast redwoods and oak trees. Paul has worked alongside the RCD on this reforestation and acorn planting project. For the last 22 years he has worked at Meadowood Napa Valley and The Napa Valley Reserve and worked with the RCD on vegetative management and reforestation pre/post the 2020 Glass Fire. His current title is Director of Special Projects and Community Relations. He recently completed two terms (6 years) as a Board of Director for Land Trust of Napa County and is a certified California Naturalist (2016). In a previous career, he was a California CPA and earned a B.S. in Accounting from Arizona State University and M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University. In 2010, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Associate Directors
Andreina Carlsen
Associate Director
Biography
Antoinette is a seasoned event planner with over a decade of experience working with prestigious restaurants, hotels, wineries, and music festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area. With extensive training and impressive expertise in organizing a diverse range of events, she understands the value of effective planning and practices that deliver exceptional guest experiences. Pairing her planning expertise and her passion for sustainability, Antoinette has recently completed a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with a specialization in urban planning. As a native of Napa Valley, she possesses a unique perspective on the region’s people and intricacies that provide insightful contributions to her work in creating sustainable communities that balance social, economic, and environmental needs.
Balkis Johnson
Associate Director
Biography
Coming Soon!
Bryan Parker
Associate Director
Biography
Bryan Parker is a veteran winemaker and educator who has lived in Napa Valley for 25 years. He earned his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1993, and after his Postdoctoral Appointment at Northwestern University ended, moved to Davis to study winemaking. Bryan currently holds the General Manager position at Rutherford Hill Winery and as an instructor for the UC Davis Winemaking Certificate program. Bryan’s interests include regenerative farming, water conservation, drought tolerant plants, forest health, and assisting in community education. While not working, Bryan can be found gardening, leading hikes throughout Napa Valley, and traveling.
Chris Carpenter
Associate Director
Biography
Ernie Schlobohm
Associate Director
Biography
With over 20 years of experience in nonprofit work and business development consulting, Ernie is a seasoned community organizer. Born and raised in San Francisco, Ernie moved to Napa permanently in 2006 and focused his efforts into preserving Napa’s architectural heritage, including landscapes in the area. He has a big respect for forest and watershed health. After retirement, he continued to advise the work of several nonprofits with special attention to community impacts and engagement. On his off time, Ernie enjoys participating in Napa and St. Helena’s bocce ball leagues.
John Henshaw
Associate Director
Biography
John earned a B.S. in Forestry (1975) from Humboldt State University and a M.S. in Forest Engineering (1977) from Oregon State University. He is a registered professional forester in California and a registered professional engineer in Oregon (Logging Engineer) and holds both basic and advanced Certificates of Public Administration from Lewis and Clark College (1995). John was lucky enough to attend Class 9 of the Washington State Forestry and Agriculture Leadership Foundation program in 1987. He also was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Pacific Union College for his work to conserve and manage their 1200 acres of forest lands in Napa County. During his college years he taught classes at both Humboldt State and Oregon State. Since starting his career, he has taught forestry at Sierra College and UC Davis, in addition he currently teaches Environmental Policy at Pacific Union College.
Joseph Nordlinger
Associate Director
Biography
Joseph is a Sonoma native and has been a Napa resident for 10 years. Outside of work, Joseph is interested in residential water and energy efficiency, drought tolerant landscaping, suburban permaculture, & suburban bee-keeping. In particular, Joseph would like to assist in education, training and transformation projects that bring greater conservation focus to residential homes in Napa. Joseph also enjoys snowboarding, running, cycling, and fly-fishing.
Lauren Winczewski
Associate Director
Biography
Lauren is a tenured Professor of Psychology at Napa Valley College. Her passion for conservation began when she moved to California and was moved by the majesty of the region’s trees. She obtained her PhD in Psychology at UC, Santa Barbara, where she conducted empirical research on the social psychology of close relationships. At Napa Valley College, Lauren supports students pursuing research and internship opportunities in STEM. She is committed to connecting the Napa RCD and Napa Valley College in an effort to build career pathways for students interested in conservation and environmental science.
Patrick Gorman
Associate Director
Biography
Coming Soon!